In a week that features three entries from Brock, the top spot goes to one of the Eagles and with good reason.
Senior southpaw Evan O’Conner takes Big Country Preps Player of the Week Award after throwing a six-inning no hitter against Glen Rose last week.
The Arizona State-bound hurler was nearly perfect, throwing only 80 pitches, walking just one and fanning 13 Tigers. He is consistently pegging the radar gun in the mid 90s.
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Continue reading “PHOTO GALLERY: Cooper-Wylie softball (55 images)”
Facing off with Abilene High ace George Ferguson, who had not allowed an earned run all year entering Thursday, Wylie coach Grant Martin knew he’d need a strong start of his own to have any chance of leaving Blackburn Field with a win.
In his pursuit of that, he turned to a senior who had done most of the pitching in his career out of a relief role.
Colby Garrett, who pitched 2.2 scoreless innings of relief to beat AHS on Tuesday, delivered exactly what his coach was looking for in Thursday’s rematch, allowing one run in a gusty complete-game effort to outduel Ferguson in a 5-1 Bulldogs victory.
Trailing Wichita Falls Memorial 4-1 after two and a half innings, the Abilene High softball team found itself in an unfamiliar spot Thursday at the AHS softball field.
But after mustering just one run through the first two innings, the Lady Eagles scored 10 runs over their final four trips to the plate, chasing Lady Mavericks starter Madi Walker after just 2.1 innings before abusing reliever Sam Lail for seven runs in an an 11-4 win.
The victory, which came on Strikeout Cancer and Teacher Appreciation night for AHS, kept the Lady Eagles (17-9-1 overall) perfect in District 4-5A play at 5-0. With it, they remain game ahead of second-place Wylie, which they’ll face for the second time April 14 after matchups against Cooper (Tuesday) and Wichita Falls Legacy (April 10).
The end result might have been the same, but the journey to get there was anything but when the Wylie and Cooper softball teams started the second half of District 4-5A play Thursday night at Bulldog Field.
The Lady Cougars were without normal shortstop Abbey Alvarado and with six players playing different defensive positions than they did two weeks earlier against the Lady Bulldogs, they committed seven errors while Wylie’s offense pounded out 12 hits in a 13-2 win.
Thursday’s win gave the Lady Bulldogs a season sweep of the Southtown Showdown after taking the first game 5-2 at Cooper on St. Patrick’s Day.
Here are the area’s baseball statistical leaders through April 2.
Statistics are from throughout the Big Country Preps circulation area as submitted by coaches. These lists will be continually updated as we receive more submissions.
If your favorite team is missing, please give your head coach a friendly reminder to check his email for our weekly stat request or send Evan Ren a note at Evan.Ren@BigCountryPreps.com.
Here are the area’s softball statistical leaders through April 2.
Statistics are from throughout the Big Country Preps circulation area as submitted by coaches. These lists will be continually updated as we receive more submissions.
If your favorite team is missing, please give your head coach a friendly reminder to check his or her email for our weekly stat request or send Evan Ren a note at Evan.Ren@BigCountryPreps.com.
For most of five innings Tuesday, the Wylie and Abilene High baseball teams were locked in a thrilling pitcher’s duel, competing with playoff intensity in front of an engaged capacity crowd at Bulldog Field.
With the Eagles leading 2-1 in the home half of the fifth after George Ferguson had broken a 1-all tie with an RBI single in the top of the inning, the outcome of the key District 4-5A matchup was still very much in doubt, and a narrow win one way or the other seemed all but inevitable.
But with two outs in that frame, Wylie freshman Myles McCarty launched a game-tying home run to right field, flipping the momentum on a dime. The blast kicked off a walk-fueled five-run rally that would finally give WHS some separation in a 7-2 win for the Bulldogs.
The Wylie softball team closed out the first half of District 4-5A play with a 10-0 thrashing of Wichita Falls Memorial on Tuesday night behind a stellar effort in the circle from Avie Faries.
Faries retired all nine batters that she faced in the game, recording five strikeouts, while benefiting from an offense that had six doubles in the first three innings. Faries needed just 35 pitches, including 25 strikes, to complete her easy night.
Wylie (15-12 overall, 3-1 in district) wasted no time putting the Lady Mavericks (12-10-1, 1-3) on the ropes as Faries retired Memorial in order on just 11 pitches in the first inning before the Lady Bulldogs offense got rolling with a six-run first inning — doing most of that damage with two outs in the frame.
As one would expect, the Jim Ned Relays had a quality field of competition last week, opening the door for one of its athletes to snag Big Country Preps Player of the Week honors.
So it’s not surprising that its top performer sits atop of our weekly list of highlighted competitors from around the area.
Wall senior Bryson McFarden takes our weekly accolade after medaling five times in Tuscola with four golds and a silver.
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Continue reading “PHOTO GALLERY: Texas High School Powerlifting State Meet (176 images)”
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Continue reading “PHOTO GALLERY: Cooper-Wichita Falls Memorial baseball (37 images)”
Taking a brief break from their respective district races, the Abilene High and Brock baseball teams met for a nondistrict matchup Saturday at Blackburn Field, and the outcome was a competitive game between two league-leading squads.
AHS led 2-1 after four innings, but the visiting Eagles scored the game’s final three runs to leave Abilene with a 4-2 victory and a six-game winning streak that included a pair of run-rule wins over defending regional finalist Graham last week.
Brock (13-3 overall, 2-0 in District 6-4A) took advantage of some shaky defense by Abilene High to pull ahead with a pair of runs in the fifth, before tacking on an insurance run in the seventh. And that late offense was all the support necessary for Austin Gallogly and Brody Burns, who earned a win and save, respectively, in relief of starter Colton Ripple.
Abilene High coach Tommy Martinez played a major role in the Texas High School Powerlifting Association moving its state meet to Abilene and the Taylor County Coliseum in 2007, where it’s been for two decades and counting.
On Saturday morning, the THSPA inducted the veteran coach into their Hall of Honor before the final day of the state meet got under way.
While humbled by the recognition, Martinez was quick to deflect the credit to countless others.
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Continue reading “PHOTO GALLERY: Jim Ned-Sweetwater baseball (57 images)”
Wylie junior Avie Faries pitched a good game Friday against crosstown rival Abilene High. AHS senior Avah Reyes pitched a great one.
That was the difference as the Lady Eagles took sole possession of the District 4-5A lead with a 2-0 win on their home field.
Taking a no-hitter into the seventh inning, Reyes worked around one hit and a pair of walks to finish with a complete-game shutout, facing one batter over the minimum to outduel Faries, who allowed single runs in the third and sixth innings to take a hard-luck loss.
Cooper baseball coach Brandon Stover thought his squad made a lot of great contact on Friday night at Cougar Field in a District 4-5A matchup with Wichita Falls Memorial.
He even though it was better contact than what the Mavericks managed off starting pitcher Johnathon Rico and a trio of relievers.
But it was the Mavericks who took the rubber match of the three-game season series, 11-2, as a patient offensive approach led to nine walks — six of which came in a decisive six-run sixth inning.
HASKELL — The first time Haskell and Hawley met on the softball diamond this season, the Maidens edged the Lady Cats 7-6 in a thrilling eight-inning road win on March 9.
Flash forward to Friday in Haskell, with both teams expecting another nail-biter and the results didn’t match what was anticipated. Haskell simply overwhelmed Hawley in the rematch, ending the contest via the 15-run rule with a 19-4 win in four innings.
Paige Scheets was 4-for-4 with a double, a homer and six RBIs and Rebekah Cunningham was 3-for-3 with a two-run homer to lead Haskell (10-6, 5-1 District 8-2A), which remains a game behind first-place Anson in the league race.
Hawley fell to 15-8 and 3-3, missing its chance to force a second-place tie with the Maidens. The Lady Cats were led by Lily Bailey, who was 2-for-2 with a double, two RBIs and a run scored.
Here are the area’s softball statistical leaders through March 26:
Statistics are from throughout the Big Country Preps circulation area as submitted by coaches. These lists will be continually updated as we receive more submissions.
If your favorite team is missing, please give your head coach a friendly reminder to check his or her email for our weekly stat request or send Evan Ren a note at Evan.Ren@BigCountryPreps.com.
Here are the area’s baseball statistical leaders through March 26.
Statistics are from throughout the Big Country Preps circulation area as submitted by coaches. These lists will be continually updated as we receive more submissions.
If your favorite team is missing, please give your head coach a friendly reminder to check his email for our weekly stat request or send Evan Ren a note at Evan.Ren@BigCountryPreps.com.
Entering Tuesday with a one-game lead on Wylie for first in the District 4-5A championship race, the Abilene High baseball team took care of business against last-place Wichita Falls Legacy, riding a nine-run first inning to a 16-1 run-rule victory at Blackburn Field.
Ten Eagles players had at least one hit as AHS combined for 15 hits as a team, providing plenty of support for starter Gavin Colley, who limited Legacy to two hits and one run over four strong innings to earn the victory.
Tuesday’s outcome, which improved the Eagles to 15-5-1 overall and 5-0 in district play, added a half game to Abilene High’s lead over Wylie (14-3-1, 3-1), which is idle this week. Wichita Falls Memorial (8-13, 2-3) defeated Cooper (9-11-1, 2-3) by a 6-4 margin in Tuesday’s other league game to provide some separation for the Eagles and Bulldogs atop the district standings.
SWEETWATER — While baseball superstition says that you don’t talk about perfect games or no-hitters in progress, it also says that you should celebrate lengthy winning streaks.
There’s plenty of reason to celebrate around the No. 4-ranked Jim Ned baseball team, which knocked off Sweetwater 13-4 on Tuesday evening at Sportsman Park to run its season-opening winning streak to 18 games while improving to 4-0 in District 6-3A play.
The Indians won nine of their first 17 games by at least 10 runs with only three games decided by three runs or less.
In the pitcher’s circle, there are varying degrees of perfection. And in the case of our Big Country Preps Player of the Week, that statement was fully illustrated on Friday in a 6-0 Clyde win over Merkel.
Yes, CHS freshman Brynli Reynolds threw a perfect game. But this wasn’t your standard, every day, run-of-the-mill, garden variety perfecto.
In fact, it may have been the most dominating performance by a baseball or softball pitcher the Big Country has seen in the last two decades.
Aside from retiring 21 straight hitters from a very good Merkel team (19-2), Reynolds fanned the first 17 batters she faced and finished with 20 strikeouts. She also helped herself at the plate, going 1-for-2 with an RBI.
It was the second time this season that the Clyde freshman has taken our weekly accolade.
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Continue reading “PHOTO GALLERY: Aspermont-Hamlin baseball (110 images)”
Digital photos, prints and keepsakes may be purchased by clicking the link below. The “BigCountryPreps.com” watermark will be removed from all purchased photos.
Continue reading “PHOTO GALLERY: Stamford-Hawley baseball (71 images)”
Here are the standings for all baseball districts involving Big Country schools (through March 22):
Continue reading “Big Country Baseball Standings (through March 22)”
HAMLIN — Saturday’s District 8-1A doubleheader between Hamlin and Aspermont featured something that Hamlin coach Lynn Turner hadn’t experienced in his career as a head coach, which is saying something after he notched his 400th career win the previous week.
Ian Gruben took a perfect game into the fifth inning of the Pied Pipers’ 10-0 win in the opening game at Rock Field before Isaiah Hutchings threw a no-hitter in the second game as Hamlin rolled to a 15-0 win.
The pair combined for 23 strikeouts while facing 29 batters in the two games, with Hutchings even notching a rare four-strikeout inning.
CLYDE — You know you’re witnessing a masterful pitching performance when fans of the opposition have been reduced to cheering foul balls. And in Friday’s 6-0 Clyde win over Merkel, CHS hurler Brynli Reynolds delivered exactly that — a game so dominating that any contact made by the opposition was greeted with encouragement.
To begin with, Reynolds tossed a perfect game against a Merkel team that entered the contest with a 19-1 overall record. There were no hits, no walks and no Clyde errors while 21 straight Merkel hitters were retired.
But that doesn’t fully illustrate what occurred at Clyde’s Hanner Sports Complex. In fact, it undersells it.
Reynolds, you see, is only a freshman. And in seven innings of work against a legitimate district title contender, she struck out 20 batters. Not only that, but she fanned the first 17 hitters she faced, with the only ball put into play being a routine groundball out to second base by McKinley Crouch with two outs in the sixth inning.
Lost in all this was an effective pitching performance by Crouch, who allowed four earned runs on eight hits against a 19-0 Clyde team with 11 strikeouts of her own.
The Lady Badgers fell to 19-2 overall and 3-1 in District 6-3A. Clyde is now 6-0 in district.
George Ferguson took a no-hitter into the sixth inning before “settling” for a two-hit shutout Friday to lead the Abilene High baseball team team to a 7-0 win over crosstown rival Cooper in a District 4-5A matchup at Cougar Field.
The standout right-hander tallied 12 strikeouts without issuing a walk, pitching around leadoff singles in the sixth and seventh innings to help the Eagles (13-5-1) wrap up the first of three trips through the league play at 4-0.
Behind its hard-throwing starter, AHS took control of the game early, following a one-run second inning with a two-run third to put the Cougars in a hole they had little hope of climbing out of against one of the top junior pitchers in the nation.
HAWLEY — Stamford pitcher Alek Hernandez and first baseman Carlos Vega constantly work on the hidden ball trick during practice, but they hadn’t tried it in a game.
Stamford baseball coach Steven Gould has preached to the duo the things that they had to do in order for it to be successful — including in Wednesday’s practice when Hernandez stepped on the mound without the ball.
Friday night, the pair ended a 15-4 win over Hawley in a District 8-2A game by perfectly executing the play for the final out as they caught Jesse Nieto after he had reached on a fielder’s choice.
As impressive as the 2025 Stephenville Yellow Jackets were on the football field – winning the Class 4A Division I state championship with a 16-0 record – they were even more impressive in the classroom.
Stephenville was the undefeated state champion on the football field. The Yellow Jackes were national champions in the classroom.
The Irving-based National Football Foundation (NFF) & College Hall of Fame recently announced Stephenville High School as the national winner of the 2025-26 NFF Hatchell Cup, the highest academic team honor in high school football.
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Continue reading “PHOTO GALLERY: Cooper-Wylie baseball (72 images)”
The Wylie softball team kicked off District 4-5A play with an impressive victory Tuesday, riding a fast start at the plate and a strong pitching effort from Avie Faries and Shae McAllister to a 5-2 win over crosstown rival Cooper at the Cougar Field.
The Lady Bulldogs followed a two-run first inning with another run in the second to take a 3-0 lead, and that was all the run support necessary for their two pitchers, who combined to limit the Lady Cougars to four hits and trio of walks in the win.
Faries started and tossed four shutout innings to earn the winning decision before giving way to McAllister, who allowed two runs (one earned) in a three-inning save. Tuesday’s outcome improved Wylie (13-10 overall) to 1-0 in league play, creating an early tie atop the 4-5A standings with Abilene High (13-9-1, 1-0), which defeated Wichita Falls Memorial 7-2 in Tuesday’s other league game.
Heading into the bottom of the fifth inning at Bulldog Field on Tuesday night, the Cooper and Wylie baseball teams were locked in a 2-2 game that had seen a combined one hit to that point — a first-inning RBI double by Wylie’s Myles McCarty.
That’s when the Wylie offense came to life and propelled the Bulldogs to a 10-2 win as McCarty finished a home run shy of the cycle and drove in five runs while Hudson Tuley added three RBIs.
The win moved the Bulldogs into a tie with Cooper at 2-1 in District 4-5A play, a game behind Abilene High after the Eagles beat Wichita Falls Memorial 5-1 in Tuesday’s other league matchup.
EULA — When Josh Fostel and his family moved to Eula to become the boys basketball coach for the 2003-04 school year, few people could have imagined that being the final stop of his coaching career.
After posting a career record of 647-209, including 610-189 leading the boys and girls programs at Eula, the reality began to sit in that his coaching career was over as Fostel, 48, was named the lone finalist for the Eula Independent School District’s superintendent position during Monday night’s school board meeting.
Due to state laws, Eula must observe a mandatory 21-day waiting period before making the hiring official.
Our Big Country Preps Player of the Week earned the accolade on the state’s biggest stage.
Jayton senior guard Sean Stanaland was a big contributor in several areas for the Jaybirds in a surprisingly easy 78-45 win over Kennard in the Class 1A Division II state title game. This began with the 28 points he scored to help JHS to its third straight championship.
He also pulled down 15 rebounds to go with five assists and three steals as Jayton capped its season with a victory in San Antonio’s Alamodome.
The Wylie baseball team bounced back from Friday’s 5-0 loss to Abilene High in a major way Saturday afternoon, pounding out 12 hits — seven for extra bases — in a 14-2 home win over Wichita Falls Memorial.
With a turnaround of less than 24 hours between Friday’s District 4-5A opener and Saturday’s matchup with the Mavericks, the Bulldogs weren’t afforded any time to dwell on the loss to the Eagles or the two-hit shutout they faced at the hands of flamethrowing right-hander George Ferguson.
But the immediate return to the field proved beneficial, as Wylie pounded out five first-inning runs on its way to the run-rule victory. Coach Grant Martin’s team would tack on seven more runs in the fourth, making an easy winner of Dylan Regala, who took a no-hitter into the fifth inning, before surrendering pair of runs on a couple of hits and two walks.
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Continue reading “PHOTO GALLERY: Wylie-Abilene High baseball (91 images)”